


Sea Saplings

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Eventual Smut, Greenwitch Daichi, M/M, Seawitch Suga, Witch AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 03:18:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7874107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Daichi . . . Thank you for making the world grow."</p><p>"I could make nothing grow without you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sea Saplings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sugamama-sama (landiddy)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/landiddy/gifts).



> Super bad at summaries, so here's a witchy AU devised by my bro and I~

It was undeniably disturbing that his heavy breathing was the only thing that could be heard in the deep thickness of the forest. Suga knew there should be more; the breeze was definitely rustling the trees that loomed above his head, but there was nothing to be discerned other than his rattling, nervous breaths. He didn’t feel threatened, per se, but he felt misplaced, as if the woodlands were talking to each other, inquisitively murmuring in wonder at why Suga was here. A sea witch shouldn’t be in a forest, not one that was so charged with magic and not for this long.

In reality, Suga didn’t know why he was there. At first, he’d simply been skirting the trees in search of some herbs and things to use for dinner; the sparse woods by his home were all made of skinny pine trees and held nothing of real use, so he was plenty willing to make the long trek to a place with more substance. But the longer he’d lingered by this forest, the more he felt a pull in his chest, tugging him deeper and deeper until he’d finally figured out that the trails were turning him around and making him lose his way.

It was truly beautiful; even Suga could appreciate it, of course, but the fact that it had gotten progressively quiet and still unnerved him, and he wanted to find his way out regardless of how gorgeous the damp, mossy floor and monstrously tall trees were. He silently willed the earth to help him, but his affinity didn’t lie within the bark and leaves, so he felt nothing shift in the air.

Standing in one spot fretting wasn’t going to do him any good, however, so he took a slow breath, reminding himself that the wards tattooed on his collarbones and fingers weren’t yet burning with warning, before he started walking again. Perhaps, if he continued on straight ahead, he’d reach the end eventually.

But he supposed the earth had heard him, because after what could only be another ten minutes of walking, a parting of trees was visible, the trunks slowly thinning and spreading to reveal a clearing. Suga’s stomach curled in on itself, eagerness flooding his veins when he spotted a house; it was a tiny, unassuming thing, but so very lived in, smoke rising from the chimney and the windows flickering with candle light in the grey, dappled atmosphere of the rapidly approaching dusk. If someone were living here, it must mean that the edge of the forest was close by. He’d just need to ask for directions.

He smiled, bare feet snapping over twigs and squishing into recently rained on soil as he hurried forward. Yet, the closer he got, the more anxious he felt, as if he’d passed through a barrier, and his fingers and shoulders burnt like a brand against his skin; sounds came back, and he could hear birds and the rustling and creaking of the woods, his own footsteps paling in volume under all of it. A storm rumbled above, and the scent of oncoming rain was pungent and forcing his silver hair to stand on end. He was so distracted by the overstimulation of sound and smell that he hardly noticed the vines until his foot refused to lift back off the ground.

Looking down, he felt panic wash over him, dry brown and strong green tendrils curling over his ankles and up his calves, trapping him midstride. He tried to break out, but he couldn’t move, and he could feel the pulse of magic in ever sinew of the plants that bound him. This was an attack, or at the very least a trap.

“Who’s there?” He called, silently thanking every deity that his voice was firm and didn’t shake. “Who binds me?”

It grew silent again, as if someone slowly turned the volume of the world down, once again pulling Suga’s focus back to his own breathing and the cracking of the vines that he struggled against. They still held strong, and he could feel them tightening.

“You are not welcome here, human.” A deep, solid voice replied, steady like the earth that seemed to be sucking him in. Suga felt his spine go rigid when a figure emerged from behind the thickly covered garden lattice, the ivy concealing the man well until he’d decided to show himself. “How did you approach my home? How did you see it? The trees should have led you astray.”

Suga was terrified, the strange man obviously a very strong witch if he was able to command the earth to do something so quickly and forcefully. He wasn’t one to back down, but he didn’t want a fight, especially not with someone who was worlds more threatening than he ever would be. “I just stumbled upon it! I didn’t seek you out, if that’s what you’re implying.” He replied, a deep frown on his face. “What do you mean ‘How did I see it’? Do you have wards put up? They don’t affect me. I can see past them.” With this, he held up his left hand to show the backs of his knuckles, using his right to pull down his shirt and reveal the line of ink across his collar; his father had given him runes at a young age, to protect him and give him resistance to all other wards. Evidently, it was handy.

The man seemed startled at first, realization dawning across his face slowly, turning it from a frightening imposition into something soft and curious. It was almost amusing to watch, were Suga not trapped and scared. “You possess magic.” He stated, tilting his head; Suga could feel the vines loosening around his feet, the static in the air falling away just as easily, and he knew he was safe.

Suga simply nodded slowly, fingers curling around the strap of his bag as he righted his footing, standing taller, though not quite as tall as this other man. “I’m affiliated with the sea. Well, any water, really.” He murmured, eyes sliding down from the intricately designed leather arm bands to the man’s belt, small pouches and glass vials as well as bound crystals hanging from thin braided cotton. He had dirt stained fingers and a strong disposition, well weathered and strong like the ground he stood on. “You’re a greenwitch.”

“Ah, yes.” The man replied, not daring to approach this water witch; he seemed scared enough, and he didn’t need someone crowding his space. “Oh, perhaps I should give an introduction. It is the least you deserve after I bound you. I am Sawamura Daichi.” He dipped his head slightly, giving a botched version of a bow, and Suga couldn’t help but let his hackles lower. The greenwitch seemed kind, at his root.

Daichi didn’t seem too scary now that he wasn’t angry or defensive, and Suga was more than content to interact with him, especially since he had given a name; giving one’s full name to another witch was considered a highly respectful gesture, and he was only comforted by this.

“Sugawara Koushi.” He replied, rewarding Daichi the same courtesy as he clutched his bag and flexed his toes in the soil beneath his feet. “You live pretty far away from any towns, huh? Are you a hermit or something? Even with your forest turning me around, I know that we’re very deep in the woods.” He might be getting a little personal, but he was curious, and he wasn’t exactly a shy person. He figured he had a right to know; Daichi _did_ lead him off his path and bound him, regardless of the fact that it was merely self-defense.

Daichi seemed a bit surprised that the question was being asked, head tilting a bit. “Why would I live closer to humans? I like it here, far away.” He explained, as if Suga should just know this. “Where do you live?”

“I live by the ocean, of course.” Suga chuckled. “If I didn’t live near water, I would whither. You know that. If I stuck you on an island made of only sand, you would be dead within a week.” Humans were unaware, but it was a well-known fact between witches that one must be immersed in their element in order to thrive; even though they were technically immortal, their life forces were completely dependent on it.

For some reason, one which escaped Suga, Daichi tilted his head back and laughed, waving a hand dismissively at the suggestion. “Well, would that not be a waste! I have been alive far too long to die because some sea witch stuck me somewhere with no plants.”

“Oh?” Suga hummed, crossing his arms over his chest. They were slowly gravitating towards each other, and he had to do his best to ignore the fact that this very broad, and much to his earlier notice, very _shirtless_ man was inching into his space. “Exactly how old are you?” He was teasing, mostly, but he noticed that Daichi had a very articulate an old way of speaking, and it made him wonder just how ancient of a being he was dealing with here.

Daichi’s nose wrinkled up in thought, his expression that of someone who could hardly remember, and at that point Suga knew he would be unprepared for whatever the answer. After a few moments passed, the other hiked one shoulder up to his ear. “I was born in the early 1200’s. So…almost 800? I am very old, as far as witches go. I suppose you could say that part of the reason I am living so far away from humanity is because I enjoy not having to move every decade.”

Suga’s chest felt as though it shriveled up into a ball and dropped down onto the dirt below him, the utter shock almost too much to handle; he’d never imagined that Daichi was _that_ old, but he supposed it wasn’t too odd, considering how the other spoke and carried himself. “You’re ancient! Ah, I don’t mean that in a _bad_ way, I just . . . I’ve never met a witch so old. Other than my parents, of course. But even they aren’t 800.” He breathed. “Wow. I feel almost privileged.”

A soft but deep laugh erupted out of Daichi, his timbre strong, warm and flickering like a flame, and it made Suga’s knees feel week. “Please, do not speak so highly of me. I am just a regular greenwitch. I haven’t even come into contact with another witch who was not my family in . . . likely a century.” He hummed, shrugging. “You cannot possibly be young enough to find 800 such an astounding number.”

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong.” Suga sighed. “I’m only 87 years old. I’m very young, considering.” He was the youngest in his family, and his family was small, a single unit that had lived and traveled together for almost sixty years. Suga had left to be on his own, closer to the sea instead of next to a mere lake like his parents and sisters, and he’d never regretted it once. “I suppose I should have known that magic was at play when your trees began to lead me away from the outskirts. You should tell them to behave.” He teased, lips curled up into a smirk.

Daichi smiled right back, a content expression. “They do not listen to me much. I apologize once more. You are very kind, allow me to repay you.” He offered, seemingly excited; Suga knew he was only being so nice and welcoming because he knew Suga was another witch, but it surely didn’t bother him. He was always looking to make friends. “Would you stay for dinner? I will show you around, and then I will escort you back to the edge of this forest, so that you may return to your sea.”

As nice as making friends was, Suga was unsure he should be staying; the forest was deep, and though he could hardly see through the thick leaves overhead, he could tell that the storm clouds were thickening, and the sun was beginning to leave them. However, he supposed that having Daichi guide him would make the trip less threatening, and he _was_ hungry.

“Oh, I suppose. Yes.” He sighed, releasing his hold on his bag and letting his arms fall to his sides. “I would like to stay for dinner, thank you. I expect a full tour though! Your little cottage is very intriguing.”

Daichi seemed pleased, smile blooming into a grin as he closed the few steps between them to take Suga’s hand in his own; it sent static up his arm, and he had to force himself not to jump, the feeling strange and off putting. It may have been the strength of their energies meeting for the first time, so he decided not to think much of it. “Come, this way.” Daichi said happily. “Sugawara Koushi, I grant you entrance to my home at any time you so please. These wards no longer deflect you. Welcome.”


End file.
